A site for my handmade cards, accompanied by my photos and written meanderings which are occasionally witty, often tongue-in-cheek, and rarely profound. Beginning in June 2013, you'll also see lots of NBUS, which is an acronym I coined for Never-Before-Used-Schtuff. Feel free to join in, use the acronym, and use up your NBUS too! Thanks for coming by! Have a beverage and enjoy!

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November 5, 2013

Framed Nuts ~ CASology#69; CASOS#20; MIM#139; PP#170

Hello, Peeps!

How's the new week treating you? I'm so pleased to start off by telling you that Anne (Redanne) is home from the hospital. Yippee! Squee! Now settle down, she is still on complete bed rest while her bone knits. Any orders you have for sweaters or socks can be sent to Anne through me. Wait. What? You would think if a bone was going to break and the doctors tell you that it has to knit, well, the least it could do is actually knit while you lay around waiting! Thank you all for your prayers and positive and healing thoughts you are continuing to send Anne's way!

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Today's card production was brought about by the "Stamped Square Frames" challenge at the Papertrey Ink (PTI) Make It Monday. (If you click over, you will see an excellent video by the super talented Dawn.) Dawn made the square on her card from a non-square stamp!

Cool, huh? At first I didn't think I'd be able to play along because the rules said specifically that "your project must use at least one Papertrey product anda square frame created with Papertrey Ink stamps." I don't have any single-line or flourish PTI stamps.

But then I remembered I had this label set called "Happy Day":

So I used one side of that criss-cross diamond/argyle label image and I stamped it four times to make a square out of it. It might have taken me more than one attempt to do that. Ahem. The pattern reminded me of the cross-hatching on an acorn top, so I used autumn colors and came up with this card:

I wanted to put "thanks" or "thank you" as the sediment under the squirrel die cut, but in the end I went with the "smile" sediment because of the funny look he got on his face once I gave him a googly eye. He looks like he is some kind of city squirrel who has never seen a nut before!

Of course I had to add a little sparkle on the nuts and the sediment, which you can't see via your electronic device. This may help:

And, of course, it wouldn't be right if I didn't find a couple of other challenges to play in. I'm a sociable gal like that!

My design closely resembles the sketch found over at CAS on Sunday, thus:

I'm using a member of the wildlife community as my focus pocus inside my square, which fits in perfectly with the current challenge at The Paper Players:

I haven't played in either of these challenges for a while, so that was fun!

And thanks to my sweet friend Susanne, I am also linking my card to this week's CASology challenge where the cue card word is "brown." Thanks, Susanne!

As always, there are wonderful DT cards for your inspiration on these sites. If you can join in the challenges, the links will provide you with all the fine print and the fantabulous prize and sponsor details.

If I were you, I would make sure I was in my comfy chair in my comfy clothes with a nice tall comfy beverage so I could settle in and visit these wonderful card artists. They range from newbies to well-seasoned bloggers and I know in either case they would love to meet you. In return, they have a ton of amazing talent and loads of inspiration waiting to share with you!

Thank you so much, ladies, and welcome to the party!

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Enjoy your nutty day! No, seriously, enjoy. LITS*

As always, thank you for coming by to visit the Playhouse and special thanks to you if you take the time to leave a comment and/or join as a follower! Please let me know you came by, so I can be sure and return the flavor!

Great job creating the square from your sentiment stamps set ... sometimes I forget they include other stamps than sentiments in those sets! :) Your squirrel looks like he's quite pleased with the nut he's found ... I think Smile is the perfect sentiment. Love the way you colored in the closed areas of the letters. Lolly xx

He is seeing a nut for the 1st time that is for sure!!! Love your super duper resourcefulness (as always) to MAKE a SQUARE??!?! You are clever and the end result does indeed make me smile!!! Hope you have a GREAT week and I am so happy to hear about your friend Anne!! xo

He's so adorable and the frame looks fabulous! Love his expression--so funny. A couple of neighbors started hand feeding a family of squirrels this summer and now we are entertaining five young squirrels daily at OUR bird feeders. Not how I had planned it!!

Way to find just the right set to meet the MIM criteria! And what a FAB card you have created with it! I especially love how you sparkled up the acorn! You picked the perfect sentiment too - because smile is just what your card made me do! And last but not least I am so happy to hear that Anne is on the mend :)

This is gorgeous Darnell, I love the way you have created the square and the 'city' squirrel with his googly eye certainly made me smile.I am so pleased that dear Anne is back at home now, I am sure all the positive thoughts and love she has received from her crafty friends is helping her healing process.hugs Sue xx

Hi Darnell, great stamping of the square frame:) It's perfect with the squirrel and sparkly acorn. Beautiful result. Your previous card with what looks like skittles on the die is a fun design, again very creative. Have a wonderful day, Hugs, Shirleyx

Hello sweet lady! Thank you for your kind thoughts (and those of your many followers) and for the suggestion of knitting - will get on to that straight away! Feeling much better now and zipping around on the crutches quite well....

Your card is fabulous, I love how you created the frame and it looks so perfect with the squirrel and nut - his eye is just too cute! Hugs, Anne x

Thar ya go agin...being all resourceful! So exciting to come up with clever ideas like this and make it work for a challenge! You're right about the squirrel...city boy for sure! Doesn't look like he knows which end is up!

Just a sec while I compose myself from having read Geri's comment above re the 'well-placed bling." Hahahaha...Okay, yet again, you resourcefulness is brilliant! Square, squirrel, snacks + smile! You've covered it all! Fabulous card, delightful post and yes, another 'how does she do it' response to just how sociable you are! Hugs,c

So glad to hear Anne's on the mend and out of hospital Dippy.....great news. You've been totally ingenius with your one and (l)only PI stamp set........love the way you've made up your frame - brilliant.

That is a very clever square! I'm sure I would never have thought of something like that! And your description of the city squirrel is spot on. He's definitely giving that acorn what I like to call "the hairy eyeball."

Well what a creative little nutter you are, smiling BIG, that's how that card made me feel, so perfect sentiment..Got a cuppa and going to visit your hit parade, thanks for sharing you fabulous card and your new friends, hope you have a great day, big hugs...

So glad to hear that Anne is home and on the road to recovery. Thanks for that news. Your card is just darn cute! I wonder if your squirrel is any relation to the one in 'Christmas Vacation'?.... Love the googly eye, and perfect non-frame frame! Later dudette! Bev

You are a clever boots to see that set & think of the design you chose! It framed your goofy-eyed squirrel just right. Love the autumn colors and this card made me chuckle. I could see the bling in the small photo too, but thanks for showing larger! Thx too, for the news on Anne. I'm betting she is happy to be home, even if on lotta rest. I chose the cardinals for her, because in an email she shared that this is not a UK bird. She's been so sweet in liking the ones I have done, so hadda do one just for her! TFS & HugsOh yes, as soon as I catch up my 'behinds' again, I'll pop over to visit your new friends. It's always lovely to find new friends & new blogs to enjoy.

You did it again! Found a clever way to use what you have and make it work for a challenge! That googly eye just makes me SMILE! Too fun! Why don't you enter it over at CAS-ology where the code word is BROWN this week???

That stamp worked perfectly and you did a good job stamping it. I don't think I have a stamp I can use but maybe I'd better take a second look. I like the sentiment, too, because that crazy squirrel really does make me smile.

Your squirrel looks so cute....we don't have these in oz so I find them quite fascinating little critters:)Your frame looks fab and I love these colours together! I hope your having a great week - hugs xx

Wow, I'm at the end of a looong line of comments, your card is a big hit Darnell! The squirrel is just adorable, and I love how you so precisely stamped that argyle image four times. Superb! Thanks for sharing your creation with us this week at The Paper Players!

Your cards are fabulous! Between you and Marybeth's cards I know I have to give this challenge a go. (P.S. Thank you so much for your sweet comment a couple weeks ago...I've been out of town and away from internet access for most of the last two weeks otherwise I would have thanked you sooner.)

I love this sweet card Darnell and the bits of bling really add a lot. Thanks for your kind comment about my Merry Monday card. I'm still trying to follow your lead and link up to more than one challenge with the card and this week I managed two, so I still have a long way to go before I catch up with you!

Great idea using the label to make your frame what inks do yuo use as the colours are always so crisp and vibrant? love it and fits the challenge briefs perfectly. Off to have a wee sneaky peak at your new followers blogs as i'm a bit nosey and have the time! have a great week ahead Andrea x

I think seeing that googly-eyed squirrel in real life would be a little creepy. He does look a little boggled by his nut!!! But he is awfully cute on a card - and way to find a way to make a frame - it was meant to be!

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About Me

I have been stamping and making cards since 2002. I've been married 47 years to Kevin, known herein as "Mister." Our son Daniel and his wife Rachel have twin sons Henry and Adam. Card-making and blogging are wonderful hobbies which have brought me noodles of friends! Oh, and I have an imaginary hamster named Hammy who keeps me in line. Thank you for visiting, joining, and commenting! It will be my pleasure to return the flavor!!